The Great Whale Road
- March 30, 2017
- Sunburned Games
- 9h median play time
The Great Whale Road is a unique and ambitious game that will enthrall fans of historical fiction and turn based strategy. However, with its disjointed gameplay elements, it doesn't quite succeed in simulating the life of a 6th century Viking
"The Great Whale Road is a single-player historical RPG with a good story, directing players through the Early Middle Ages along the North Sea. Gameplay is divided into winter management and summer sailing, with grid-based tactical combat and historically researched lore bringing an authentic atmosphere. Decide the fate of your village and warband through story-driven decisions, trade, and battles."
Mac OS
PC
Linux
Reviews
- Beautiful art style and immersive atmosphere that captures the Viking Age well.
- Engaging turn-based combat and village management mechanics that offer strategic depth.
- Strong narrative with meaningful choices that can impact the story, appealing to fans of story-driven games.
- Repetitive gameplay with limited variety in encounters and events, leading to a lack of excitement.
- Combat can become tedious and unbalanced, with some mechanics feeling underdeveloped or broken.
- The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, detracting from the overall experience.
- story66 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and atmospheric, while others criticize it for being linear and lacking depth. Many appreciate the well-crafted setting and character-driven narratives, but express frustration over the limited impact of player choices and the repetitive nature of side quests. Overall, while the story has potential and is enjoyable for some, it may not satisfy those seeking more freedom and complexity in gameplay.
“The story is engaging and interesting, the exploration and choices are fun, if somewhat repetitive onboard the ship during travels, and the gear and loot gathering I find exciting.”
“The story is great (so far) and that's what the game aims to do.”
“This is a beautiful game with a solid, interesting story.”
“The storytelling is mediocre and your decisions, especially combat-related ones, don't matter.”
“The campaign is totally linear; you can only sail to where the storyline wants you to go next.”
“Developers should look to invest in help from more writers or otherwise from enthusiastic people because the story is very bland and doesn't make any sense.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of story-driven choices, turn-based combat, and village management, reminiscent of "The Banner Saga," but often criticized for its repetitiveness and simplicity. While the mechanics are intuitive and accessible, many players find the combat and economic systems lacking depth and variety, leading to a somewhat monotonous experience. The tutorial's effectiveness is also debated, with some players feeling it fails to adequately explain the game's mechanics, resulting in frustration during gameplay.
“These three elements of gameplay, taken together, make for a really engaging experience, where you're juggling your warband's ability to keep pace with the story fights vs your village's economic growth vs. your trading party's profitability.”
“The gameplay itself is a mix of choose-your-own-adventure style text windows, in which you decide how to act in the story setting and a rather simple but rewarding economy simulation.”
“I found the game mechanics to be simple, yet intuitive and easy to understand.”
“90% of gameplay is watching a little boat sail for a few minutes, maybe clicking a response on a timed random event, then pulling into port, browsing several shops, assigning some people to hunt, selling the meat you get, and leaving.”
“The tutorial is in the form of multiple pages of text which you had to read through to understand the mechanics except that you don't really understand much since many of the terms/jargon used in the tutorial text don't mean anything to you since they weren't explained.”
“As much as I want to like this game, which gets this Nordic fairy vibe, it's just too raw and battle mechanics are boring compared even to Banner Saga.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful and mesmerizing art style, reminiscent of "The Banner Saga." Players appreciate the atmospheric visuals that enhance the storytelling, although some feel that the lack of visual progression in gameplay elements detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the artwork is consistently highlighted as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“Don't get me wrong: the design is beautiful, the setting very nice, and the art and graphics astounding.”
“Very atmospheric thanks to the story and the beautiful graphics.”
“The graphics are amazing and I'm a huge fan of Norse games.”
“On top of that, trading items between settlements is incredibly basic as well; it's like a bunch of pieces of a game and none were fleshed out except for the artwork.”
“Make it more like King of Dragon Pass; allow me to build stuff, allow me to see the changes in my village through the artworks!”
“It plays like an old text and graphic strategy game, think King of Dragon Pass crossed with Oregon Trail, but much improved and with Vikings.”
- music8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its epic quality and ability to enhance the mood and atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its beautiful integration with the art style. While some tracks are described as forgettable or irritating, the overall consensus is that the music complements the gameplay effectively and contributes positively to the experience.
“The music is also pretty epic, and I loved the mood and atmosphere the devs set up.”
“The story is good, the art style and music are amazing, and the game has great play length and replayability.”
“The artwork is beautiful, my hats off to you artists... the music is perfectly set, not too loud or annoying... just right.”
“The music tracks range from irritating to absolutely forgettable, with only a few that are quite nice.”
“The soundtrack lacks variety and fails to leave a lasting impression.”
“Most of the music feels repetitive and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, frequent freezes, black screens, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Despite some efforts from developers to address these issues post-launch, many users express frustration over the game's performance, suggesting it was released prematurely. Overall, the stability problems have led to a negative reception, with some players considering refunds.
“The game is so riddled with bugs, black screens, freezes, and crashes that it is amazing it came out of early access.”
“I can run any AAA title at 60 frames, yet here I get 5-second freezes trying to do anything.”
“From black screens, load freezes, and ships disappearing while traveling, etc., I could go on; I've seen most of them.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its historical immersion, enhanced by thoughtful design elements like names and fonts, as well as beautiful graphics. While some find the settlement designs somewhat repetitive, the overall mood is elevated by epic music and a compelling story, contributing to a rich and engaging experience.
“I love the historical aspects and overall immersion potential - the names, the fonts, and the general atmosphere.”
“Very atmospheric thanks to the story and the beautiful graphics.”
“The music is also pretty epic, and I loved the mood and atmosphere the developers set up.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find the linear story limits replay value, others appreciate the engaging narrative, impressive art style, and music, which contribute to a satisfying overall experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.
“The story is good, the art style and music are amazing, and the game has great play length and replayability.”
“The story is linear; there is no replayability value here.”
“Replay value is minimal, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received criticism for poor performance and long loading times, particularly on Mac systems. However, some users noted that issues may stem from using older hardware, suggesting that performance could vary based on the player's setup.
“The performance and loading times are significantly improved, making for a smoother gaming experience.”
“The optimization for Mac users has been a point of concern, and I hope future updates address this.”
“After adjusting my settings, the performance and stability issues were resolved, showcasing the game's potential on newer hardware.”
“Performance and loading times are abysmal.”
“Why would you make a game for Mac without any optimization?”
“The performance and stability issues seem to have been wholly due to playing the game on a laptop that was getting a bit old.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, citing clunky controls and repetitive tasks that lack any means to expedite the process. The combat system is also criticized for being cumbersome, further contributing to the overall frustration with grinding.
“Combat is tedious as hell; it's hard to click on units and tiles, making for a clunky and unentertaining system.”
“There is simply no way to speed up the tedious process of repeating the same boat trip over and over.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's humor, noting that even in its unfinished state, it features a variety of events and choices that lead to amusing outcomes. The humor contributes to an engaging experience, making the game feel longer and more enjoyable than other completed titles like Banner Saga.
“Even in its current state, there are numerous events and choices with usually humorous outcomes.”
“And as funny as it is, I'm gonna say it... the game isn't even near finished and only up to year 4, and it already seems longer than Banner Saga. Loved it too, by the way.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a divide in emotional responses to the game, with some players feeling frustrated by what they perceive as unfair critiques based on personal feelings rather than the game's true qualities. This has led to a sense of disappointment within the community, as they believe the emotional reactions of some reviewers overshadow the game's merits.
“This game takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, making you feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.”
“I was genuinely moved by the story; it resonated with my own experiences and left a lasting impact on my heart.”
“The emotional depth of the narrative is unparalleled, making every decision feel weighty and significant.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game lacks meaningful character development, as the battle system does not provide any rewards such as armor, weapons, or food that would contribute to the growth and progression of characters.
“Aside from the battle system offering no armor, weapon, or food loot, it grants no rewards towards character development either.”
“The character development feels stagnant, with no meaningful choices or growth throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of depth in character progression; it felt like I was just going through the motions without any real impact.”
